Flour sifter



May 15, 1923. 1,455,660

J. RANZ FLOUR S IFTER Filed Dec. 4, 1922 Patented May 15, 1923.

[Jason mm, on'sr. LOUIS, rarssonnr.

FLOUR SIFTEB.

Application filed December 4-, 1922. Serial No. 604,797.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Jason RANZ, a c1ti- Zen of the United States, reslding-at'the city of St. LouisandStatc of Missouri, have in.

rented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flour Sifters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such. as will. enable othersskilled in the art bu which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in flour sifters, the object being to construct a device of the character described which is simple in construction, cheap and one which is very effective in operation.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved flour sifter.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same. 3

Figure 3 is a detail view of a modified form of sifter.

Figure 4 is a detail view of another modifled form of Sifter.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates an open ended cylinder forming the side walls of the sifter, and 2 isa handle secured to one side of same for well understood purposes. The ends of cylinder 1 may be refolded either upon themselves, as shown, or over a stiffeningreinforcing wire in a manner well known.

3 indicate cross wires secured within the cylinder 1 and preferably slightly above the lower edges thereof. These cross wires are fixed in position and serve to support a screening or sifting member consisting of walls 4 and wiremesh 5, the latter being secured. in position at the bottom of the screening member 1. This screening member is slightly smaller in diameter than the interior of cylinder 1, and is loosely mounted upon the supporting wires 3, so that it may be shaken within the cylinder 1 and by su'ddenly contacting with the walls thereof subject the 'contents to shocks and jars which will facilitate the screening and sifting of the contents.

The flour to be sifted ispoured into the, top ofcylinder 1 and is received by hopper 6 fixedly secured within the cylinder 1, the lower end of said hopper terminating below the upper edge of the sifting member 4 and above the screen 5. Ordinarily, when the flour is put into the sifter to be sifted and screened, the angle of repose would be ap-' proximately along the dotted lines a and,

of course, as the sifting member 4 is jostled and shaken about, being subjected to the jars incident to the contact with the sides of the cylinder, and then being lifted and permitted to drop suddenly on the wires 3, the flour will sift through the screen 5 so rapidly that it cannot build up and overflow the edges of the sifting member 4.

After the flour is sifted through the screen 5, any lumps'or tailing-s, as they may be called, are discharged through the opening 7 in the upper edge of the hopper wall 6.

In Figure 3, I have shown a modified form in which the screening member 4 is provided with an annulus 4* near its bottom, in which is seated a rubber ring 8, the purpose of this ring being to silence the noise of the sifting member being thrown in contact with the cylinder 1, and also to provide an elastic and quick rebound of said sifting member.

In Figure 4, I have shown another modified form of sifter in which the entire sifting member is made of a. single piece of screen material pressed into shape with the upper edges of its side walls refolded. By having the side and bottom walls made of foraminiferous material, the flour is more quickly sifted through the sifting member. If desired. the side walls 9 of this foram'iniferous sifting member may be slightly tapered.v of course, this foraminiferous sifting member is loosely mounted in position be neath the hopper, as heretofore described, and therefore may be said to constitute a floating siftin member loosely mounted within the supporting body.

By the use of my invention, the flour is quickly and readily sifted and apparently is thoroughly aerated and made exceedingly fluffy by virtue of the freedomv of movement of the sifting element and its ability to receive shocks and jars delivered from practically every direction.

What I claim is:

1. A flour sifter comprising a supporting body, a floating sifting member loosely mounted therein, and means for delivering flour to be sifted at a medial point relative to the sifting member.

2. A flour sifter comprising an open ended body portion, cross supports arranged therein, a loose sifting member arranged on said cross-supports, and afiarmg wall on the body portion and extending down within the zone of said sifting member. v

i 3; A flour Sifter comprising an open ended body portion, a loose sifting member, and a adapted to receive an elastic ring.

. A sifting member for a. flour Sifter com- 5. In a fioursifter, the combination of an 7 open ended cylinder provided with a handle, cross supporting Wires arranged at the lower end of said cylinder, a sifting member loosely mounted on said cross Wires, said member being of less diameter than said cylinder, and a flaring Wall secured to the cylinder above said sifting member, the lower end of said flaring Wall terminating Within the zone ofsaid sifting member. In testimony whereof I hereuntotaflix my signaturethis 27th day of November, 1922;

"JACOB RANZ, 

